


Toil and Trouble

by oxiosa



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers, Latin Hetalia - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23054209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxiosa/pseuds/oxiosa
Summary: Luciano’s mother comes from a family of witches and wizards older than colonization itself and had been homeschool like all her ancestors before her. Luciano’s father, on the other hand, studied in Hogwarts and insisted Luciano carry on after his footsteps.
Relationships: Argentina/Brazil (Hetalia)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Toil and Trouble

**Author's Note:**

> The characters used in this work belong to the community Latin Hetalia and their respective creators. More info about them in the following link > www.latin-hetalia.livejournal.com
> 
> Argentina: Martín Hernández.  
> Brazil: Luciano Da Silva.  
> Chile: José Manuel González Rodríguez.  
> Colombia: Catalina Gómez.  
> Ecuador: Francisco Burgos Torres.  
> Peru: Miguel Alejandro Prado.  
> Uruguay: Sebastián Artigas.  
> Venezuela: María de la Coromoto Páez Miranda.

Luciano clings to his father’s tunic as they make their way through Platform 9¾, hurrying among a sea of people as his mother trails right behind him. Luciano lets his parents hands guide him, as he is too busy taking all in with wide amazed eyes. Both his parents come from wizarding families and he is not new to magic, but he has never seen so many witches and wizards gathered in one place. People and carts with trunks rush all around them like some crowded highway, and owls and cats hoot and yowl from their cages. It doesn’t help that everything is so very different from his native Brazil. Luciano is so used to colour and brightness and warmth; he feels like he is inside some old history book just by looking at the platform’s gloomy architecture and the people’s long dark robes.

“Keep walking, baby,” his mother pushes him gently as she urges him to pick up his pace.

They are late and the Hogwart Express waits for no one.

As they make their way through the crowd, Luciano soon can see the scarlet steam locomotive, whistling and letting out puffs of steam like some impatient beast waiting to be set loose. They make it in time, and as his father pulls Luciano’s trunk into the train, his mother kneels in front of him and cradles his face with gentle hands. 

“You have everything you need?” she asks. “Luggage? Wand? Ambrósio?”

“Yes, yes and yes,” Luciano answers nodding his head. He looks at all the children leaning over the train’s windows, practically bouncing in place. “Can I go now?”

His mother laughs and plants a firm kiss on his forehead, loud enough it darkens Luciano’s cheeks. 

“ _ Mooooooom, _ ” he whines, embarrassed.

She laughs again at him, and plants another gentler kiss on his forehead. Luciano can’t help to pout up to her.

“Be good,” she says with a sweet smile and a caress to his cheek.

The steam engine lets out a long deafening whistle announcing the train’s departure. 

“All aboard!” a man’s voice screams over the crowd.

Luciano’s mother hugs him tight, and his father pats his head affectionately, ruffles his hair and sends his dark curls into disarray.

“Now, off you go,” he says.

Luciano gives them both a quick hug before rushing to the train’s door and climbing up the wagon’s stairs.

“Have a safe trip!” his father calls.

“Don’t forget to write!” his mother ads.

“I won’t!” Luciano replies. He waves at them with a wide smile. “Bye!”

The train’s door closes like it has come to life on its own and startles Luciano. He presses his hands against the door, and stands on the tip of his toes to wave his parents goodbye thought the door’s little window. The train starts moving, and in the blink of an eye, the station and the people are gone to leave place to the distant sight of London city as Hogwarts Express rushes by.

Luciano sighs, and smiles wider to himself. He takes his trunk, and drags it behind himself as he sets to find a seat and new friends.

Most compartments are already taken he soon finds out. He knocks door after door, and finds no space left for him. He has to press himself against the train’s wall sometimes, as kids of all ages and sizes rush past him, laughing and screaming.

“No running in the corridors!” he hears a stern voice calling after a particularly naughty group of teens.

He has been dragging his trunk around for about fifteen minutes when two voices catch his ear. It’s not the voices perse, but the language what gets his attention. It’s not English, and while it’s not Portuguese either, it‘s close enough for Luciano to pick up words here and there. He heads towards the voices almost unconsciously, drawn by the familiarity of it.

He slides the compartment door open without knocking and is greeted by what might as well be a screaming competition.

“Is too!”

“Is not!”

“Is  _ too _ !”

The first thing that catches Luciano’s eyes are a girl and a boy glaring at each other; the prettiest girl Luciano has ever seen stands with her hands on her hips scolding at a boy with short brown hair who holds a hand protectively against his shirt’s pocket on his chest. There are three other boys in the compartment; two are tiredly looking at the fighting pair, and the third one sits by the window hidden behind an old book twice his size, blatantly and deliberately ignoring the ruckus happening around him.

The bickering stops however the moment Luciano opens the door. The boy in the corner lowers his book, and all five set of eyes stares at him. Luciano forgets whatever he was about to say, a little overwhelmed by the sudden attention.

It’s the blond boy with glasses by the door the first to break the spell and speak.

“Hello,” he says. “You looking for a seat?”

Luciano can’t help to give the lot a cautious look, and nods his head.

“Yeah, I am,” he answers. His eyes land on the last empty seat, right by the compartment’s door and in front of the blond boy. “Is it taken?”

“Not at all,” another boy - with green eyes and curly brown hair - smiles widely up at Luciano. “Take a seat!”

And so Luciano does. They help him with his trunk, and once he is settled, they introduce themselves.

“I’m Sebastián,” the blond kid with glasses says. He points at the rest. “This here is Daniel, María and Francisco, and the bookworm over there is Manuel.”

They all are first years, he explains, just like Luciano himself. They all have moved to the old continent, which explains the Spanish shouting that had drawn Luciano in. Unlike him, they all know each other before today.

Luciano can’t help exchange curious looks between María and Francisco, the boy and the girl who had been fighting before his intromission.

“What was all the fuss about?” he asks.

They both seem to remember about their squabble; María crosses her arms and glares at Francisco, who stick his tongue back at her.

“Francisco is smuggling three bald ugly rats,” María accuses.

“ _ And _ a gecko and a turtle,” Manuel points without bothering to lift his eyes from his book.

Francisco protectively cups his chest pocket with his hand, and only now Luciano notices the little gecko comfortably nested on Francisco’s short hair and the turtle shell by his lap.

“They’re not rats!” he snaps defensively at María. He takes a peek inside his pocket, and mutters. “They’re baby bats.”

“They’re  _ gross _ ,” María wrinkles her nose and tilts her chin up.

“Are not!”

“Are too!”

“We already told him none of them are allowed in Hogwarts,” Sebastián whispers to Luciano, and lets out a long suffering sigh. “But he won’t listen.”

“I couldn’t leave them home!” Francisco complains troubled. “I already left Humberto, Lesly and the twins with my mom, I couldn’t leave them too!”

Sebastián shakes his head, and María sticks her tongue at Francisco.

“I have a pet too,” Luciano offers.

He reaches inside his pocket, and five set of eyes eye him curiously.

“His name is Ambrósio,” Luciano introduces the toad snuggled between his cupped hands with a wide smile.

“ _ Coooool _ ,” Francisco smiles impossibly wide.

“ _ Blegh _ ,” María sticks her tongue out in a show of disgust. She announces unkindly; “Toads give you  _ warts _ .”

“That’s not true!” Luciano exclaims and protectively holds Ambrósio closer to his chest.

“No, it’s not,” Francisco agrees calmly. “That’s just a silly myth.”

He scratches Ambrósio’s head with a finger, and the toad squeezes his big round eyes shut with a pleased low croac. Francisco and Luciano giggle, and María lets out a grossed out groan. However, before she can complain again the compartment door slides open, and startles them all again.

A short chubby boy with dark hair and bright hazel eyes smiles widely at the sight of them.

“Here you are!” he says. He looks to his right, and raises his voice. “Hey, guys! I found them!”

Before Luciano can ask what’s happening, two more students rush inside. They are a tanned girl with thick brown hair and a blond boy with bright green eyes.

“Where have you been hiding?!”

”We’ve been looking all over the train for you!”

Three pairs of eyes fall in Luciano with surprise.

“Oh, you’re new,” the blond boy says.

Sebastián is the one who quickly introduces them as Martín, Miguel and Catalina. He quietly explains to Luciano in hushed whispers that Daniel and Martín are his cousins; that Francisco, María and Catalina are neighbours -  _ ‘practically siblings’ _ , in his words -; and that Manuel’s and Miguel’s parents happen to work together in the Ministry of Magic. They all come from different places, but the shared language and culture makes them stick together in a made up little family of their own.

Unlike them, Martín, Miguel and Catalina are in second year. They are already one year ahead the lot of them, which makes them a perfect target for their eagerness and curiosity.

“Is it true a giant squid lives in the castle’s lake?” Francisco asks with dreamy eyes.

“And werewolves in the forest?” Daniel adds with a trembling voice.

“Both are true,” Martín nods. He adds with mischief glinting in his green eyes; “Last year three students  _ died _ in the Forbidden Forest.”

He snickers at his audience’s horrified looks and whitening faces, and Catalina elbows him with a frown.

“ _ Liar _ ,” she hisses. She turns to them, and with gentle reassurance says; “No one has  _ died _ in Hogwarts.”

“Not in the last few years at least,” Martín adds under his breath.

“I heard some classrooms are actually dungeons,” María comments.

“They are,” Miguel nods with a shudder.

“I heard ghost live in the castle,” Luciano says.

“Of course they do!”

“A ghost teaches History of Magic.”

“I heard some rooms change locations!”

“I can’t say I’ve seen that…”

“I heard that the Sorting Ceremony consists of dangerous trials.”

They all startle a little, by Manuel’s quiet intromission - he had been so quiet until then - and the gloom nature of the question. Luciano shares worried looks with Daniel and Francisco, and then turns to Catalina, Martín and Miguel for comfort.

Martín smiles widely, but before he can answer Catalina is already elbowing him quiet.

“That’s not true,” she answer before he can.

“Yeah… it’s not very exciting actually,” Miguel shrugs.

“Do you get a saying in the sorting?” Francisco asks shyly.

Catalina and Miguel shake their heads, but Martín puffs his chest out with a smug smirk.

“I did,” he announces matter of factly.

Catalina elbows him yet again.

“It’s true!” Martín frowns at her, rubs his arm where must be starting to be a sore spot. He scoots closer to Miguel and away from Catalina and her ruthless elbows. “I did!”

“Stop lying,” she chides sternly. Then, she turns back to her first year audience with a much kinder expression. “You don’t really get to pick. You’ll see for yourselves soon.”

“Don’t worry, guys, Gryffindor will happily take you in!” Miguel gives them a wide smile.

“Oh, yes!” Catalina agrees and beams. “It’d be great to have you all!”

Martín snorts and rolls his eyes.

“What?” Catalina smirks at him .”You say they’ll do better in Slytherin?”

Luciano’s mother comes from a family of witches and wizards older than colonization itself and had been homeschool like all her ancestors before her. Luciano’s father, on the other hand, studied in Hogwarts and insisted Luciano carry on after his footsteps. His mother assured him there was no pressure over the sorting, but Luciano can tell his father, a proud Gryffindor, is waiting for him to join the lion pride. If Luciano is being honest, he’s not sure which house he’d rather belong to. He doesn’t fathom himself specially brave, or clever, or kind, but what he  _ does _ know is that there is one house he rather  _ not  _ be sorted in.

“Anything but Slytherin,” he shakes his head. “My dad says only liars and cheaters go to Slytherin.”

They all lose their smiles and grow unnervingly quiet as they stare at Luciano with wide eyes. Luciano stares back numbly with has the growing feeling he has just messed up.

María bursts into laughter, and Daniel tries to hide a smile behind his hand.

“Luciano…” Sebastián says quietly. “Miguel and Coco are Gryffindors…”

“But Martín is in Slytherin,” Manuel ends for him.

Color drains from Luciano’s face as he meets Martín’s glance with wide eyes. Martín stares back and narrows his eyes at him. He doesn’t look amused at _ all _ .

“It’s fine,” Martín replies coldly - and it’s definitely  _ not _ fine. He looks at Luciano from head to toe with his nose high up. “You shouldn’t worry about being sorted in Slytherin anyways. We have  _ standards _ .”

Any guilt Luciano could have felt fades away with that.

“Oh, yeah?” he defies, closing his hands into fists. “Well, I wouldn’t have guessed since  _ you _ were sorted in it!”

Around them, all the kids gasp in surprise. Martín squints at Luciano, but Luciano puffs his chest stubbornly.

“Uh… my grandmother packed some snacks for me,” Miguel clears his throat awkwardly in a weak attempt to defuse the situation. “Anyone want some?”

It’s enough for the moment, but Luciano and Martín share one last hostile look and don’t speak to each other for the rest of the time Martín, Miguel and Catalina stay with them.

“Now that’s what I can a memorable first impression!” María giggles once the second year students are gone back to their compartment.

“How was I supposed to known?” Luciano demands feeling a blush warm and darken his cheeks. Martín had seemed nice and fun, or at least he had been until Luciano insulted his house to his face. “I wasn’t expecting him to be Slytherin!”

“Never judge a book by it’s cover,” Manuel replies, back into his reading.

Luciano huffs, sags in his seat and crosses his arms over his chest.

In the end, Luciano didn’t need to worry about being sorted in Slytherin; the sorting hat takes a little time with him before loudly announcing Hufflepuff as his home for the next seven school years. It’s not what Luciano’s father must have had in mind when he insisted send him to Hogwarts, but it’s hard to care when Hufflepuff’s table explodes in cheers and welcomes Luciano in like he just won the Quidditch Cup for them. As he sits at the cheering yellow-and-black table, Luciano can’t help to glance towards Slytherin’s. It takes him a quick scan to spot Martín’s blond head and catch him smugly smirking down at him across the dining hall. Luciano frowns, and sticks his tongue at him.

He knew he was in for surprises the moment his parents announced they would send him to a Magic School, but starting the school year with an enemy even before his first class was not what he expected.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Sooooo the idea of this fic is to write 7 independent chapters exploring Luciano's school years and his relationship with Martín. Not really sure where I'm heading with it or what to make of it, but hey lets figure that out along the way


End file.
